Records fall as Wichita Heights wins 5-1A Swimming Title

TOPEKA, Kan. - For the third time in the last five years, Wichita Heights was crowned the Class 5-1A state champion in Topeka.

The meet was highlighted by state records falling, with four and nearly a fifth being set at the meet.

The records start with Trinity's Ben Patton, who set records in prelims for both the 200 individual medley and the 100 backstroke on Friday. Then on Saturday, he broke each mark again to win a pair of first place medals.

In the IM, he swam a 1:46.78, besting his mark yesterday by more than two seconds and shattering the previous record by nearly 3 seconds. Then later in the backstroke, he did it again, swimming a 48.60 for his second record of the meet. For his efforts, he was awarded the Swimmer of the Meet prize.

But Patton wasn't alone. Lex Hernandez-Nietlin from Bishop Miege matched him, setting state records in both the 100 freestyle and the 100 breaststroke. In the free, he swam a 45.12, beating the mark he set Friday of 45.31. Then he followed that by swimming a 56.08 in the breaststroke, narrowly beating his mark of 56.18 from the preliminary round.

Then McPherson came within .06 seconds of making it five, falling just shy of the record mark of 1:27.77 in the 200 freestyle relay.

But in the end, it was Heights that hoisted the state championship trophy. While they didn't win any individual titles, they used one second and a whopping four third place finishes to clinch the title buy just two points over Topeka-Seaman, 213-211. Wichita Independent made it three teams to hit the 200 point mark, finishing third with 202.